My refugium is loaded with brown algae (diatoms) is it a problem?

[we4wieners]

My tank is 2 weeks old and the parameters have settled rather well. My pH is abit high 8.3/4 My fuge is loaded with brown algae, I am sure its diatoms. I have chaeto and rubble rock in there and I keep the light on the fuge ON 24/7. Should I remove some of it or shut the light off for a few days? BTW, my chaeto is growing like crazy, even in just 2 weeks. I have just a damsel present.

 

[BigO6687]

tank: lights on during day, off at night
fuge: lights on at night, off during the day, that will help your ph and diatom problem

 

[nonstophoops]

tank: lights on during day, off at night
fuge: lights on at night, off during the day, that will help your ph and diatom problem

Yes, definitely do a reverse light period with chaetomorpha. Do not shut the light off for a few days. This will kill all the algae including the chaeto that you want to have. I think your tanks has only stabilized because the algae has consumed all the nutrients, so if you let all the brown algae die off in the tank you will have the same cycle you already had. Try to harvest what you have and do not add any livestock for at least a couple weeks to a month to let the tank stabilize. Are there diatoms in your display tank?

I do disagree that your ph is too high however. Yes, it is on the high side, but that is a good thing. You do not want it to drop much at all. The key is stability. By having reverse light periods in your refuge, you will always have light on in your system. Photosynthetic processes will constantly be happening keep the ph high and stable all the time.

 

[crabbejoe]

And a diatom bloom is natural, they'll die out on their own eventually.

 

[we4wieners]

Cool thanks, I'll reverse cycle the fuge light with the tank light. Is there such a thing as too much diatom in the fuge? There is very little in the tank. Ya know some on sand and some on the LR, though very little.

 

[nonstophoops]

I do not believe there is such a thing, as long as you harvest it as much as you can. Otherwise, as it grows too thick some of it will start to die and release all those nutrients back into your system. Fuge is working then if there is very little in the main tank.

 

[thisissimple]

diatoms are silaceous in nature. You always get them after a tank setup, they will go away as soon as the silicates are burned up. If you really want em gone now, add an astrea snail (or a couple) the snail tracks can be beautiful.

Natural and healthy, don't sweat.

as far as refugium lights, 24 or opposing twelves both have good points. experiment a little bit to see which gives you a more stable pH with your specific system and go with that setup. (measuring a few times a day.)

Lighting won't affect your diatom bloom as much as time. I have to assume you have a lot more flow in your display than in your fuge? (because of the lack of diatom bloom up there?)

 

[FLESHY]

Although there is a cycle, I have never had issues with diatoms in a tank that had a bloom.

One and done.

That being said, wash your substrate people before you put it in your tank and you wont be having all these problems.

Astrea snails are also good for solving issues like these.

 

[FLESHY]

If you are growing a lot of macros in your sump 24 hour lighting is best. This way you never have plants pulling o2 and pushing co2...which is what tampers with your pH...basically.

Another option is to do a less than 24hr period, and put a big air stone in your sump...this will gas out the co2 from macros which is what I have to do on my 75g reef.

 

[we4wieners]

Should I drop an astrea snail or two in my fuge. BTW, I have 2 Koralia 425's in my tank. I also added 5 astrea snails in my tank today. One tooke of and the other 4 are remaining still. My display tank is really clear and so far my numbers are good.